"Just as Gen. Yi Sun-sin saved the nation from a national crisis, it is our mission to overcome today’s challenges together," President Lee Jae-myung said Monday, calling for national unity at a ceremony in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, marking the 481st birthday of the naval commander honored as Chungmugong.
It was the first time an incumbent president attended the annual event since the late former President Kim Young-sam.
Lee said the country faces headwinds comparable to the turbulent seas Yi confronted. He cited a rapidly shifting international order that has increased uncertainty, and said rising energy prices and inflation pressures tied to the war in the Middle East are affecting people’s lives.
"To withstand the fierce winds blowing from outside, strong unity that does not waver from within is essential," Lee said. "No matter how great the crisis, if the people join forces as one, we can overcome it."
He pointed to Yi’s famed victory with 13 ships against a Japanese fleet more than 10 times larger, saying it was possible because everyone — from the commander to soldiers and civilians — was united. Lee pledged that his "people-sovereignty government" would take Yi’s spirit as a guiding light and use national unity as the driving force to confront national challenges.
Lee also vowed to turn the crisis into an opportunity for a new leap forward. He said his government would establish a system in which the gains from growth are shared broadly, build a fair society where privilege and rule-breaking are not tolerated, and restore social trust.
He said the government would speed up the energy transition and concentrate its capabilities so South Korea can become a global leader in advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence. "Together with our great people, we will overcome today’s challenges and move forward steadily toward a country where everyone is happy," he said.
Lee called Yi an enduring national hero who achieved victories rarely matched in naval warfare history. He said Yi prepared in advance of the Imjin War by building the turtle ship and conducting practical training.
Lee said Yi’s key to repeated battlefield victories was a stern sense of duty and devotion to the people, captured in the phrase "live and you die; die and you live," meaning a willingness to face death to protect civilians.
"That is why, even with scarce resources and amid despair, he united soldiers and the people and saved the country at a moment of extreme peril," Lee said, offering renewed respect and gratitude.
It was the first time an incumbent president attended the annual event since the late former President Kim Young-sam.
Lee said the country faces headwinds comparable to the turbulent seas Yi confronted. He cited a rapidly shifting international order that has increased uncertainty, and said rising energy prices and inflation pressures tied to the war in the Middle East are affecting people’s lives.
"To withstand the fierce winds blowing from outside, strong unity that does not waver from within is essential," Lee said. "No matter how great the crisis, if the people join forces as one, we can overcome it."
He pointed to Yi’s famed victory with 13 ships against a Japanese fleet more than 10 times larger, saying it was possible because everyone — from the commander to soldiers and civilians — was united. Lee pledged that his "people-sovereignty government" would take Yi’s spirit as a guiding light and use national unity as the driving force to confront national challenges.
Lee also vowed to turn the crisis into an opportunity for a new leap forward. He said his government would establish a system in which the gains from growth are shared broadly, build a fair society where privilege and rule-breaking are not tolerated, and restore social trust.
He said the government would speed up the energy transition and concentrate its capabilities so South Korea can become a global leader in advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence. "Together with our great people, we will overcome today’s challenges and move forward steadily toward a country where everyone is happy," he said.
Lee called Yi an enduring national hero who achieved victories rarely matched in naval warfare history. He said Yi prepared in advance of the Imjin War by building the turtle ship and conducting practical training.
Lee said Yi’s key to repeated battlefield victories was a stern sense of duty and devotion to the people, captured in the phrase "live and you die; die and you live," meaning a willingness to face death to protect civilians.
"That is why, even with scarce resources and amid despair, he united soldiers and the people and saved the country at a moment of extreme peril," Lee said, offering renewed respect and gratitude.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.